Chapter 32- I Need You
More crying. Crying everywhere, ringing in her ears, over and over, never ending, never dying. Always echoing...never dying...
The prick of the rose thorn left a small trail of blood running down Celes' finger. She brought her finger to her lips to suck on the small wound, closing her eyes, feeling the bitter salty taste rush into her mouth as if she were drinking gallons of blood instead of the mere drop...But the taste was soon replaced with the undistinquishible pain that ran through her body, shattering any feelings of comfort and serenity she tried to make for herself. Celes screamed louder and louder, but even her cries could not be overheard over the child's cries. Soon her voice gave out, and conscienceness soon followed.
"Oh, look, I think she's coming to."
"Are you sure? Terra, get a cold rag, would you?"
"Of course Locke."
There were footsteps, walking away, but before she could determine how long they were gone, they returned. Celes had no sense of time, or so it seemed. Everything happened in seconds, not in minutes, hours, or days. She felt something cold on her head, making her want to open her eyes more. She did so, and was harshly welcomed by bright sunlight, making her slam her eyes shut again. She heard someone draw the curtains, and she hesitently opened her eyes again. This time, the dimness welcomed her, embraced her, and she sat up slightly.
"Hmmm...where am I?" Celes asked, and slowly looked about her surroundings.
"Honey? You're in your bed, at home." She heard Locke say. Celes gasped and looked to her direct left, where Locke was kneeling down. Terra was standing beside him, clutching a pitcher of water.
"Celes..." She murmured. "You woke up."
"Terra! Locke!" Celes cried, but suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her temples, causing her to cry out and hold her head. Too much excitement...her slowly healing body was punishing her.
"Oh, Celes, don't speak." Terra said nervously. "Please, relax."
Celes looked away from Terra's worried gaze and looked to Locke, who looked relieved and depressed all at once. It made her heart ache to see him like this...she had missed him so much, and now she was seeing him like this...because of her own foolishness with a dangerous man.
"I'm going out for fresh air." Terra said softly, and smiled to Celes. "You two need to have some time alone. Just don't talk too much Celes. I gave you some herbal medicine before that should relieve that headache you have soon. However, you still have a bump under your hair, so just play it cool."
Terra turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Celes slumped back against her pillows and moaned, closing her eyes.
"Locke...it feels like someone is hammering away at my brain..."
"You're lucky there was no concussion, darling." Locke said, and Celes felt him grasp her hand. His hands felt so warm and soft compared to hers, warm and soft....like a kiss...
She opened her eyes and looked at him again, her eyes watering.
"Locke, I'm so sorry." She said, and squeazed his hand. "It was all my fault. I wanted to stop him from hurting the innkeeper, but..."
"Don't apoligize, all I care about is you being here with me, right now." Locke said, and Celes smiled a little. "I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself, even if it...well, didn't work out."
"Thank you." Celes said softly. "I am still sorry though, I must have worried you."
"I was worried." Locke said firmly. "I was so scared...so scared of what could have happened to you. I cried...for the first time in a long while. I couldn't believe myself."
"You, cried?" Celes said, hesitating between words, because she didn't want to look like she was insulting him.
"Yes, I did..." Locke trailed off. "I didn't know how you would end up after this...well, there were a lot of things, but I won't get into that." He nodded to himself, and sighed. Celes scooted over closer to his side, and leaned down, kissing his forehead.
"What's going to happen now?" She asked.
"Well, you can get out of bed as soon as you feel up to it." Locke said, and kissed her back. "But your leg is cut, and Terra wrapped it up. You also have a bump on your head we have to watch. But Terra threw away your ruined clothes and gave you a bath, and changed you into your pajamas. So you'll be as good as new soon."
"I'll go and thank her later." Celes said, and sat up even more. She tugged up the colar on her silk pajamas, and sighed.
"I'll let you get some relaxation, ok?" Locke said, and stood up. "If you want, I can bring you dinner in bed. You kinda slept through breakfast and lunch." He laughed, and Celes did too.
"Thank you." She said, and snuggled back into her pillows. Locke leaned over and gave her a kiss before leaving the room and shutting the door. Celes sighed and looked out the window. The sky was beginning to darken.
"I wonder...how long I slept..." She trailed off, and bit her lower lip. "I wonder if things here will go back to normal tomorrow...I wonder....why....that dream came back."
*********
Celes woke up to the sound of clanging and cursing . She moaned and rubbed her eyes, wondering when she had fallen asleep again. But she didn't have time to ponder over it, because soon her door was open again, and Locke walked in with her dinner.
"Hmmm, that smells good." Celes smiled.
"Yeah, Terra made it!" Locke said cheerfully, and set the tray down on the nightstand beside their bed. Celes sat up and Locke took a hold of her pillows, setting them up so she could sit up with comfort. He then slid her the tray and she took it as he sat down beside her.
Celes began to eat, and Locke looked over her.
"You look better now." He said.
"I feel better too." Celes said, and looked to him, setting down her fork. "Is something up?"
"No, I just like this...looking at you...like this." Locke stuttered, trying to find his words. Celes giggled and pushed some hair out of her eyes.
"Even in this wretched condition?" She questioned.
"Especially like this." Locke offered. "You're always on my mind, even when I sleep. Any time with you is like heaven."
"Aww...." Celes said, and a little color came back into her cheeks.
"Yeah, I always need you." Locke added, and caressed her cheek with his hand. "And I just can't wait until we're married."
"That goes for both of us." Celes smiled. "How are things with Terra?"
"It's ok." Locke said. "She already went to bed for the night though. She's in one of the guest rooms...she must be exhausted."
"Yes..." Celes trailed off, and let out a loud yawn. "Locke, I think I may be done..." Thinking about the dream and other things made her lose whatever hunger she had in her.
"But you hardly ate a thing." Locke protested.
"No, really, I'm full." Celes argued, and pushed the food away. Locke picked it up, and sighed.
"Alright." He gave in. "So, after I put these dishes away...I'll see you in bed, of course."
"Mmm-hmm!" Celes said, and kissed him on the cheek. "See ya then."
"Yep!" Locke said, and left the room, sighing a little. Like always, he was worried about her...
More crying. Crying everywhere, ringing in her ears, over and over, never ending, never dying. Always echoing...never dying...
The prick of the rose thorn left a small trail of blood running down Celes' finger. She brought her finger to her lips to suck on the small wound, closing her eyes, feeling the bitter salty taste rush into her mouth as if she were drinking gallons of blood instead of the mere drop...But the taste was soon replaced with the undistinquishible pain that ran through her body, shattering any feelings of comfort and serenity she tried to make for herself. Celes screamed louder and louder, but even her cries could not be overheard over the child's cries. Soon her voice gave out, and conscienceness soon followed.
"Oh, look, I think she's coming to."
"Are you sure? Terra, get a cold rag, would you?"
"Of course Locke."
There were footsteps, walking away, but before she could determine how long they were gone, they returned. Celes had no sense of time, or so it seemed. Everything happened in seconds, not in minutes, hours, or days. She felt something cold on her head, making her want to open her eyes more. She did so, and was harshly welcomed by bright sunlight, making her slam her eyes shut again. She heard someone draw the curtains, and she hesitently opened her eyes again. This time, the dimness welcomed her, embraced her, and she sat up slightly.
"Hmmm...where am I?" Celes asked, and slowly looked about her surroundings.
"Honey? You're in your bed, at home." She heard Locke say. Celes gasped and looked to her direct left, where Locke was kneeling down. Terra was standing beside him, clutching a pitcher of water.
"Celes..." She murmured. "You woke up."
"Terra! Locke!" Celes cried, but suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her temples, causing her to cry out and hold her head. Too much excitement...her slowly healing body was punishing her.
"Oh, Celes, don't speak." Terra said nervously. "Please, relax."
Celes looked away from Terra's worried gaze and looked to Locke, who looked relieved and depressed all at once. It made her heart ache to see him like this...she had missed him so much, and now she was seeing him like this...because of her own foolishness with a dangerous man.
"I'm going out for fresh air." Terra said softly, and smiled to Celes. "You two need to have some time alone. Just don't talk too much Celes. I gave you some herbal medicine before that should relieve that headache you have soon. However, you still have a bump under your hair, so just play it cool."
Terra turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Celes slumped back against her pillows and moaned, closing her eyes.
"Locke...it feels like someone is hammering away at my brain..."
"You're lucky there was no concussion, darling." Locke said, and Celes felt him grasp her hand. His hands felt so warm and soft compared to hers, warm and soft....like a kiss...
She opened her eyes and looked at him again, her eyes watering.
"Locke, I'm so sorry." She said, and squeazed his hand. "It was all my fault. I wanted to stop him from hurting the innkeeper, but..."
"Don't apoligize, all I care about is you being here with me, right now." Locke said, and Celes smiled a little. "I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself, even if it...well, didn't work out."
"Thank you." Celes said softly. "I am still sorry though, I must have worried you."
"I was worried." Locke said firmly. "I was so scared...so scared of what could have happened to you. I cried...for the first time in a long while. I couldn't believe myself."
"You, cried?" Celes said, hesitating between words, because she didn't want to look like she was insulting him.
"Yes, I did..." Locke trailed off. "I didn't know how you would end up after this...well, there were a lot of things, but I won't get into that." He nodded to himself, and sighed. Celes scooted over closer to his side, and leaned down, kissing his forehead.
"What's going to happen now?" She asked.
"Well, you can get out of bed as soon as you feel up to it." Locke said, and kissed her back. "But your leg is cut, and Terra wrapped it up. You also have a bump on your head we have to watch. But Terra threw away your ruined clothes and gave you a bath, and changed you into your pajamas. So you'll be as good as new soon."
"I'll go and thank her later." Celes said, and sat up even more. She tugged up the colar on her silk pajamas, and sighed.
"I'll let you get some relaxation, ok?" Locke said, and stood up. "If you want, I can bring you dinner in bed. You kinda slept through breakfast and lunch." He laughed, and Celes did too.
"Thank you." She said, and snuggled back into her pillows. Locke leaned over and gave her a kiss before leaving the room and shutting the door. Celes sighed and looked out the window. The sky was beginning to darken.
"I wonder...how long I slept..." She trailed off, and bit her lower lip. "I wonder if things here will go back to normal tomorrow...I wonder....why....that dream came back."
*********
Celes woke up to the sound of clanging and cursing . She moaned and rubbed her eyes, wondering when she had fallen asleep again. But she didn't have time to ponder over it, because soon her door was open again, and Locke walked in with her dinner.
"Hmmm, that smells good." Celes smiled.
"Yeah, Terra made it!" Locke said cheerfully, and set the tray down on the nightstand beside their bed. Celes sat up and Locke took a hold of her pillows, setting them up so she could sit up with comfort. He then slid her the tray and she took it as he sat down beside her.
Celes began to eat, and Locke looked over her.
"You look better now." He said.
"I feel better too." Celes said, and looked to him, setting down her fork. "Is something up?"
"No, I just like this...looking at you...like this." Locke stuttered, trying to find his words. Celes giggled and pushed some hair out of her eyes.
"Even in this wretched condition?" She questioned.
"Especially like this." Locke offered. "You're always on my mind, even when I sleep. Any time with you is like heaven."
"Aww...." Celes said, and a little color came back into her cheeks.
"Yeah, I always need you." Locke added, and caressed her cheek with his hand. "And I just can't wait until we're married."
"That goes for both of us." Celes smiled. "How are things with Terra?"
"It's ok." Locke said. "She already went to bed for the night though. She's in one of the guest rooms...she must be exhausted."
"Yes..." Celes trailed off, and let out a loud yawn. "Locke, I think I may be done..." Thinking about the dream and other things made her lose whatever hunger she had in her.
"But you hardly ate a thing." Locke protested.
"No, really, I'm full." Celes argued, and pushed the food away. Locke picked it up, and sighed.
"Alright." He gave in. "So, after I put these dishes away...I'll see you in bed, of course."
"Mmm-hmm!" Celes said, and kissed him on the cheek. "See ya then."
"Yep!" Locke said, and left the room, sighing a little. Like always, he was worried about her...